Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow, has become a critical tool in the Microsoft Power Platform suite. Used to automate workflows across multiple applications and services, this platform has Cloud Flows that make use of connector triggers and actions. Understanding these concepts and how they interact is an important part of mastering Power Automate and could be a significant focus in exams like the PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals.
Defining Connector Triggers and Actions
In the context of Power Automate, a connector is a proxy or a wrapper around an application programming interface (API) that allows the underlying service to speak to Power Automate, Logic Apps, and Power Apps. They provide a way to interact with the services and systems that they encapsulate.
Triggers and actions are a fundamental aspect of these connectors:
- Triggers: Triggers initiate the workflow in Power Automate. They can range from simple items like the appearance of a new email in a specific folder, to more complex scenarios such as approving a document in SharePoint. Essentially, a trigger is the event that initiates a workflow in Power Automate.
- Actions: Actions follow triggers in workflows. They are the tasks that Power Automate completes after the trigger initiates the workflow. For instance, after the trigger event of receiving a specific kind of email, the actions might involve forwarding the email to a distinct folder or forwarding it to another specific email address.
How Triggers and Actions Work Together
A firm understanding of how triggers and actions work hand-in-hand is crucial in cases such as when you need to perform a certain action (or series of actions) as a result of a specific event occurring. This event-action pairing in a Cloud Flow would work as illustrated in the example below:
Let’s create a flow where we want to track new items added to a SharePoint list:
- Trigger: In Power Automate, select the trigger ‘When a new item is created’ in SharePoint (This means the flow will start every time a new item is added to SharePoint).
- Action: Now, you need an action that follows. Choose the ‘Send email’ action (from Outlook connector) and specify the particulars like ‘to’ and ‘body’.
This flow means that every time a new item is added to SharePoint, the user will get an email notification. In this scenario, the SharePoint new item event is the “trigger”, and the sending of a notification email is the corresponding “action”.
It’s important to note that we must always have one trigger to start flow in Power Automate but we can have several actions following the trigger. The actions can also be condition-based; for instance, you can specify that an email only be sent if the new item on SharePoint matches certain criteria.
Connector Triggers and Actions in PL-900 Exam
Understanding how Power Automate cloud flows use connector triggers and actions is essential for the PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals examination. In this exam, one is tested on the ability to describe the Power Platform components and their uses, including Power Automate.
In all, understanding the concepts of connectors, triggers, and actions in Power Automate Cloud Flows helps to automate processes, increase productivity, and drive business effectiveness. As you continue to study for the PL-900 Exam, ensure the concepts of triggers and actions and how they relate are a key part of your preparations.
Practice Test
True or False: Power Automate cloud flows use connector triggers and actions to enable interaction between various services.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Cloud flows in Power Automate use connector triggers and actions as a critical part in enabling interaction between various services.
Power Automate cloud flows cannot use which of the following service types?
- A. SharePoint
- B. Salesforce
- C. MailChimp
- D. None of the above
Answer: D. None of the above
Explanation: Power Automate can connect and interact with a wide range of services including the likes of SharePoint, Salesforce, and MailChimp.
Which component in the Power Automate cloud flows serves as a cause of the flow?
- A. Action
- B. Connector
- C. Trigger
- D. Flow Listener
Answer: C. Trigger
Explanation: In Power Automate, Triggers are the cause of the flow to run, they initiate the process.
True or False: Connector Actions in Power Automate Cloud Flows are responses to the Triggers.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Actions in Power Automate are responses that occur following a set ‘trigger’ event.
When you create a cloud flow, what is the typical first step?
- A. Define Action
- B. Define Sequence
- C. Define Trigger
- D. Execute Flow
Answer: C. Define Trigger
Explanation: The typical first step when creating a cloud flow is defining the trigger – the event that will initiate the flow.
In Power Automate cloud flows, what are Connectors?
- A. They are actions performed after the flow is triggered.
- B. They are the sequence of tasks to be executed.
- C. They are proxies or interfaces to the actual service.
- D. They cannot integrate with other services.
Answer: C. They are proxies or interfaces to the actual service.
Explanation: Connectors act as interfaces providing a way to connect to and interact with the actual service.
True or False: The same service can have multiple triggers and multiple actions in Power Automate Cloud Flows.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The same service can indeed have multiple triggers as well as multiple actions in Power Automate, this allows for diverse and complex workflows.
Which of the following is not a type of cloud flow in Power Automate?
- A. Automated flows
- B. Button flows
- C. Scheduled flows
- D. Complex flows
Answer: D. Complex flows
Explanation: Automated flows, Button flows and Scheduled flows are the three types of cloud flows available in Power Automate.
What does a scheduled trigger do in Power Automate Cloud Flows?
- A. Executes a flow at a specific data and time
- B. Executes a flow when a specified event occurs
- C. Executes a flow when a button is clicked
- D. Executes a flow based on external service data
Answer: A. Executes a flow at a specific date and time
Explanation: A scheduled trigger is set to execute a flow at a particular time or at regular intervals.
True or False: Cloud flows in Power Automate can only connect to Microsoft services.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Cloud flows in Power Automate can connect to a wide range of both Microsoft and non-Microsoft services within an organization.
Interview Questions
What is Power Automate?
Power Automate is a service provided by Microsoft for automating workflow across the growing number of apps and SaaS services that business users rely on.
What are cloud flows in Power Automate?
Cloud flows in Power Automate are workflows that you can create in the cloud. They are designed to automate tasks and processes across multiple services and applications.
What are Power Automate connectors?
Connectors in Power Automate are the intermediaries between the platform and the services you want to connect. They allow you to create automations that use data and functions from different services.
What are connector triggers in Power Automate?
Connector triggers in Power Automate determine when a cloud flow should start. They can be based on a variety of events like a new item being created in a data source or a specific time or date.
What are connector actions in Power Automate?
Connector actions in Power Automate define what happens after the flow starts. They perform tasks or send data to the connected services after a trigger event occurs.
How to create a trigger in Power Automate?
To create a trigger in Power Automate, you need to select the connector for the service you want to use and then choose the event that will start the flow.
How to create an action in Power Automate?
To create an action in Power Automate, you select the connector for the service you want to interact with and then define the action that it needs to perform after a trigger event.
Can Power Automate work with different levels of complexity?
Yes, Power Automate can work with different levels of complexity, ranging from simple, single-step flows to complex, multi-step flows with conditional logic.
Can you give an example of how a Power Automate cloud flow could use connector triggers and actions?
Yes, for instance, a cloud flow could use a SharePoint connector trigger when a new item is added to a list. An action could then involve using an Email connector to send an email notification about the new item.
How do connectors, triggers, and actions interact in Power Automate?
In Power Automate, connectors provide a bridge between the platform and external services. Triggers start a flow based on specific events in those services, and actions determine what tasks are carried out after the flow starts.
What is the significance of order in Power Automate actions?
The order is significant in Power Automate actions as it determines the sequence in which the actions are performed once the flow is triggered.
Can you combine multiple connectors, triggers, and actions in one flow?
Yes, you can combine multiple connectors, triggers, and actions in one flow to create more complex automated workflows.
Can a Power Automate cloud flow interact with both Microsoft and non-Microsoft services through connectors?
Yes, Power Automate supports numerous connectors, both for Microsoft’s own services like SharePoint, Teams, or Dynamics 365, and for many other popular non-Microsoft services, like Twitter, Gmail, and Salesforce.
Can you edit a Power Automate cloud flow after it has been created?
Yes, you can edit a Power Automate cloud flow after it has been created, enabling you to modify the connectors, the triggers, the actions, and other elements of the flow as needed.
What is a scenario where you’d use multiple triggers for a single cloud flow in Power Automate?
A scenario where you’d use multiple triggers for a single cloud flow is when you want the flow to start based on multiple different events. For example, a cloud flow could start whenever a new entry is added to a SharePoint list or when there is a specific update to an item in the list.
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